Obesity has become a widespread disease in Germany. Is everyone really responsible for their own weight? *************************** For decades, people in Germany have been getting fatter. According to the Robert Koch Institute, more than half the population is overweight, and almost one in five adults is already considered obese. This is undoubtedly an enormous strain on the body. What has happened since the 1970s, when 90 percent of Germans were of normal weight? And why are health and consumer policymakers not taking more decisive action against this dramatic development? The NDR Story has researched the north. Causes of obesity and ways to reach your ideal weight The University Obesity Center Hamburg at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) is one of the leading centers in Germany. Beate Albrecht is being treated here. She works in a managerial position at the UKE herself and dreams of finally being able to ride a bike again without losing any pounds. Andreas Block, head chef at a luxury hotel in Hamburg, also has to lose 80 kilos; he could hardly climb stairs anymore. In the documentary, both talk about possible causes, their experiences and individual ways out of obesity. How does the economy influence eating habits? An industry insider, most recently marketing manager at a well-known candy company, shows how children are programmed to eat junk food from an early age through advertising strategies. Recent advertising campaigns such as that of a popular wine gum manufacturer, in which adults speak in children's voices, are particularly sophisticated from a neuroscientific point of view, says the brain researcher with a doctorate. Children want to grow up and belong, so they are tied to the harmful products from an early age and often for life. The marketing expert starts an experiment: could he use the candy industry's advertising methods to make healthy apples just as tempting for children? Politics remains passive Politics remains passive: Obesity has become a widespread disease in Germany too, and doctors are alarmed. But while in Great Britain, for example, a tax on sugar in soft drinks has already led to less heavily sweetened drinks, in Germany the industry has made a voluntary commitment that has had little effect. Numerous political initiatives to regulate them have fizzled out. Do fat-loss injections help? Now the fat-loss injection is supposed to help: The latest hype is called Wegovy. Injected once a week, the injection acts as a potent appetite suppressant. But it is not without side effects and the kilos return when the medication is stopped. Can it still be the starting signal for a lifestyle change? The NDR story follows the two UKE patients on their weight loss process and delves deep into a German problem area: is it really up to each individual to take responsibility for their own weight? IMAGE: panthermedia/monticello RECIPES FOR OBESITY https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/kochen/re... MORE INFORMATION: Robert Koch Institute study: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundh... NDR How does the feeling of satiety arise? https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/gesundhei... Causes of obesity: https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/gesundhei...